A Fire Dies
by Floating Leaves
Summary: Long time friends, Firestar and Onestar have now been separated by their leadership duties. When Onestar tries too hard to prove his loyalty to his Clan, will he do something he would regret forever?


**My first fanfic! Just one of the many versions how Firestar dies, I suppose. I believe I'm required to say "I don't own Warriors"?**

"What do you think you're doing?" Firestar growled at the brown tabby, his neck fur bristling.

"Regaining WindClan's honor!" Onestar snarled back. "Showing that WindClan can and will defeat ThunderClan, that we are not their subordinates!"

The two leaders confronted each other amid the clashing cats. Onestar had hoped to fight and win a quick battle with the ThunderClan patrol he and his cats had ambushed, proving to the proud ThunderClan that WindClan was capable of taking care of itself – and more. But an apprentice had managed to slip away, bringing back another three warriors and an apprentice, along with Firestar, the ThunderClan leader – and Onestar's old friend.

Out of the corners of his eyes, he saw his slim, swift warriors weaving in and out of the hoard of cats, fighting with the spirit of the moors gleaming in their eyes. He should be fighting with them, but since Firestar showed up, he felt that he needed to take care of unsaid business between them.

"There was no need to come to this, Onestar." Firestar's meow was softer than he expected. The flame-colored leader was gazing at him with something other than hate and anger; rather, his eyes were filled with sorrow and…pity.

The sight of that enraged Onestar. He didn't need Firestar's pity! WindClan didn't need ThunderClan to help them past their troubles anymore! Firestar needed to stop treating him like he was still a warrior. He needed to understand that they couldn't be as friendly as they used to be, when he was still Onewhisker, and didn't need to become hostile to Firestar and his Clan to be seen as a good warrior by his Clan. WindClan would not want a leader that was unwilling to fight another Clan.

Feeling his urging Clan's eyes on his back, he thrust out to claw Firestar, leaving a few cuts in his muzzle. Firestar didn't wince, but his eyes did harden. Still, he refused to fight back. A blur of bright ginger sped towards Onestar, knocking him back. The attacking she-cat had the same flaming fur as Firestar; this must be Squirrelflight, his daughter.

"No! Squirrelflight, stay out of this. This is only between me and him," Firestar ordered.

His daughter opened her jaws as if to refuse, but upon hearing a cry of pain from her sister, Leafpool, who was locked in a tussle with Breezepelt, she reluctantly left her father to help her littermate.

"I'm not going to fight you, Onestar," Firestar meowed quietly. "This is pointless. Was the whole purpose of that ambush on my dawn patrol to show that WindClan is ThunderClan's rival?" Onestar felt Firestar's emerald gaze boring into his own amber one. "I didn't think that WindClan was stoop so low as to attack like ShadowClan, just to prove its independence, which ThunderClan already recognizes." Firestar's latest words filled Onestar with an unreasonable rage.

A red haze blurred the WindClan leader's vision. He subconsciously leaped towards Firestar, claws outstretched and unsheathed. Firestar did not, or could not, dodge in time, nor did he reach out with his claws to scratch Onestar's belly. Onestar had no time to regret his action before he felt his claws pierce deep into Firestar's flesh.

Onestar immediately pulled his claws back from Firestar's body, but already Firestar had crumpled onto the forest floor, blood gushing out from the deep gash running from his throat to his belly, soaking his brilliant ginger fur.

Onestar gazed with utter shock at his old friend's body. _I didn't mean to do that! StarClan, what have I done?_

A heartrending yowl of despair rang out from the crowd, followed by more cries of horror as the ThunderClan cats saw the still, bloody body of their leader. Onestar shifted uncomfortably. Why were they so devastated? Firestar still more lives, didn't he?

All fighting ceased as Onestar felt himself knocked away from the ThunderClan leader by a pale ginger she-cat, who he recognized as Sandstorm, Firestar's mate, who then leaned over to clean her love's body with quick, worried licks. Their kits, Squirrelflight and Leafpool, quickly rushed to their father's side.

"Firestar, I didn't mean to…" Onestar's anguished voice died away as he received a fiery glare from Squirrelflight.

Leafpool dashed away from the cats huddled around Firestar and returned with cobwebs in her mouth. "Hurry, help me put them on!" she yelled.

Firestar pushed her paw away. "Don't…they won't do anything now…"

_What?_ Onestar stared. Surely…surely Firestar wasn't on his last life! He couldn't be! Firestar was younger than him!

"No, Firestar!" Onestar hurried to the flame-pelted tom, disregarding the stares of the WindClan cats. "You can't die! I didn't mean to hurt you…I'm so sorry…"

Brambleclaw, Firestar's deputy, charged into the WindClan leader, knocking him of his paws. The dark brown tabby snarled ferociously at his leader's killer, furious with grief.

"Stop, Brambleclaw," the dying leader murmured weakly, but still commandingly.

Brambleclaw obeyed his leader's words and leaped off of Onestar, growling.

Onestar beseeched Firestar's emerald eyes, which were still bright with an inner blaze.

"Forgive me, Firestar," was all Onestar managed to meow.

Firestar smiled faintly. "I never blamed you. You were a fine friend, Onestar, and WindClan couldn't be in better paws."

Images flashed through Onestar's mind; Firestar and Graystripe coming to bring WindClan back to the forest; fighting alongside the ThunderClan cat in the unforgettable battle against BloodClan; Firestar accompanying him as Tallstar made him, Onewhisker, his deputy and soon leader of WindClan…how Firestar stood up for him and led ThunderClan to battle for his leadership…

Sandstorm let out a broken sob, burying her muzzle deeper into Firestar's fur. Leafpool and Squirrelflight both put their tail over their mother and each other as the rest of ThunderClan looked on sadly, mourning for their beloved leader who had taken them through so much.

"Don't be so sad…it's not like we'll never see each other again. Brambleclaw will make a brilliant deputy, and Jayfeather and Leafpool will have you in good paws."

Firestar winced as shifted his position to lay a ginger paw on his mate. "Sandstorm. I love you with all my heart. When it's your time, I'll be there…But don't let me hear Jayfeather come telling me tonight that I have to lead you to StarClan because you jumped off a cliff. You're smarter than that."

The setting sun's weakening leaf-fall rays shone through the leaves of the forests, setting Firestar's ginger fur glowing like his namesake. Onestar watched as Firestar's Clanmates shared tongues with him for the last time. As he stepped forward for his turn, he saw the fire that had always burned in the brave leader's warm green eyes flicker, growing dimmer and dimmer until it went out, leaving with Firestar's spirit to join the ranks of StarClan.


End file.
